A Wearside development has been shortlisted for a prestigious architecture and design award.
City Hall at Riverside Sunderland has been highlighted as one of 50 national projects to be shortlisted for the Civic Trust Awards 2023. Taking place at the London School of Economics’ Great Hall on Friday, March 31, the ceremony will mark 63 years of celebrating excellence in the civil built environment.
A total of 62 projects have been shortlisted from hundreds of regional, national and international entries, with City Hall one of only 50 to be shortlisted for a national award recognising construction and design excellence.
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Past winners include Royal Festival Hall, London, The Humber Bridge, The Scottish Parliament, Seas of Red at Tower of London and Oxo Tower Wharf.
Councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “We are delighted to see City Hall shortlisted for yet another prestigious award. For over 60 years, the Civic Trust Awards have shone a light on developments across the UK which lead the way in design and construction, sustainability and making a positive contribution to society, so we’re absolutely thrilled that City Hall will be taking centre stage alongside some of the country’s most high-profile civic developments.”
City Hall opened its doors in November 2021 with council employees making a phased return to the office in the wake of the covid pandemic and the closing of the former Civic Centre. Standing at the heart of the transforming Riverside Sunderland urban quarter, the hub was designed to streamline the process of residents accessing key support.
Prior to the opening of City Hall, the vast majority of the city’s support organisations were spread apart, but City Hall is now bridging the gap between many of these services by bringing them all together under one roof. This includes housing support from Gentoo, employment and pension support through the DWP and educational advice and support from Sunderland College.
This has seen the civic hub support over 20,000 people through its customer service network, 9,000 people signposted to relevant support services and 3,525 births registered.
Cllr Miller added: "City Hall was built on the principle of providing a ‘one-stop-shop’ for key services to our residents and its usage so far more than vindicates its development. Bringing key city organisations together has not only made their services more accessible to residents, but it has also led to more people working and visiting the city centre, providing a huge boost to the high street and nearby businesses.”
City Hall was designed by Faulkner Browns and constructed by Sunderland firm Bowmer + Kirkland. The building is one of a number of large-scale development projects progressing in the city centre, part of a vision to double the residential population in the city centre and increase employment by 50 per cent with backing of Legal & General.
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